Book Buddies Program Helps Students Boost Reading Skills

Goodman Elementary students are discovering new and exciting stories, thanks to reader mentors who are helping them.

Across the school, book buddies team up on Fridays. Each week, first-grade students get a boost from fourth-grade students who read with them.

The fourth-grade teacher team recently took that idea one step further, having their fourth graders design a picture book to enhance learning.

First-grade teacher Lauren Bailey said the idea provided an interesting twist to engage her students’ reading.

Mrs. Wester meyer’s fourth-grade class, which teams up with Bailey’s firstgrade class every Friday, created numerous picture books, then shared them with the younger students.

Fourth-grade students could choose any topic they wanted and wrote a beginning, middle and end outline. Their story was then placed on Google Slides.

“Once their stories were perfect, they went back and added in their pictures. We made their stories more authentic by sharing the stories with an audience who frequently read picture books — first graders,” Bailey said.

Creating picture books — and reading with the younger students — builds literacy skills for all involved.

“My sweet first graders have a few books they’ve picked to read for the week and the fourth graders get to come and read those books to them. It helps the first graders hear the book read more fluently,” Bailey said.

“Anytime they hear someone reading, they pick up something,” she said. “It helps build the confidence of the fourth graders as well.”

The idea seems simple but adds depth to reading levels. It also builds fellowship between two readers, giving first graders a boost to explore more books.

“They love getting to do anything with the older kids,” Bailey said. “They look up to them.”

“It’s always a good time and the students love it!”

“Anytime they hear someone reading, they pick up something. It helps build the confidence of the fourth graders as well.”

Lauren Bailey First-grade teacher, Goodman Elementary

COURTESY PHOTO First graders at Goodman Elementary receive a boost from fourth-grade mentors who read their newly created “picture books” to their younger friends. A book buddy system helps facilitate reading and self-confidence for first and fourth graders, who team up weekly on Fridays, said first-grade teacher Lauren Bailey. The picture books added a new dimension to the reading time, she said.

COURTESY PHOTO Goodman Elementary first-grade teacher Lauren Bailey said the book buddy program helps promote reading and self-confidence for both first-grade students and their fourth-grade mentors.